Archive for the 'Atlanta Braves' Tag Under 'Angels' Category

Based on the results, from Anaheim to Atlanta, maybe we shouldn't have 23-year-old closers.

Craig Kimbrel of the Braves was having a dominant season, but he blew two of his final three save opps as Atlanta played itself out of the NL Wild-card spot. He had 46 saves, but Braves fans will remember the three he couldn't convert in September.

The Angels' Jordan Walden, forced into the closer's role early by Fernando Rodney failure, wasn't dominant, but still was having a nice rookie season -- until Walden melted down in his final two appearances, against Oakland, while the Angels still had a chance, and Texas on the final night of the season.

Before those two disasters, Walden was 1-0 and 6 for 6 in save situations in September, allowing one earned run in 8 2/3 innings.

The Angels bounced back from Saturday's extra-inning loss with a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves Sunday afternoon.

Angels starter Tyler Chatwood scattered five hits and two walks over his seven innings while striking out six. Chatwood gave up his only run in the second inning on a double by Freddie Freeman and a single by Joe Mather. But he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third and allowed just one more hit after that, retiring 13 of the final 14 batters he faced.

The Angels' offense was slow to get started against Braves starter Derek Lowe. But Torii Hunter gave Chatwood the lead with a two-run home run in the fourth inning. That was Hunter's first home run since April 21. He added a double in the sixth inning and went 5 for 12 with five RBI in the three-game series against the Braves.

Bobby Abreu added an RBI double in the seventh inning. That was the 534th double of Abreu's career, tying him with Lou Gehrig for 32nd on baseball's all-time list.

The Angels have now won 27 of their past 39 games against National League teams and have the best interleague record in the majors since 2007 (51-24). Interleague play returns June 17-26 when the Angels travel to play the Marlins, Mets and Dodgers.

Scioscia is in Indiana today to attend his son's graduation from Notre Dame. (The extra-inning game last night didn't cause him to miss his flight -- he was flying on a private plane.) Bench coach Rob Picciolo takes over as manager for the day with Scioscia expected back in time for Monday night's game against the A's.

Former bench coach (and now Brewers manager) Ron Roenicke took over for Scioscia on a handful of occasions like this over the previous six years and went 7-0 in those games.

"Thanks for bringing that up," Picciolo joked this morning.

Picciolo was the bench coach for the Padres from 1993 through 2002 and took the reins when managers Jim Riggleman or Bruce Bochy were ejected from a game. But this is his first chance to handle a game as manager from start to finish since he was a rookie-league manager in 1986-87.

According to multiple reports on Twitter, the Braves and Marlins have consummated a three-player trade at the GM Meetings in Orlando, Fla. today.

After having their four-year, $48 million contract offer spurned by second baseman Dan Uggla, the Marlins instead traded Uggla to the Braves for infielder Omar Infante and left-handed reliever Mike Dunn.

That sounds like a package the Angels could have easily matched -- if they had any interest in the much-speculated Uggla.

Omar Infante + Mike Dunn = Maicer Izturis + Michael Kohn?

Is that an offer you would have wanted Angels GM Tony Reagins to make for Uggla?

Freddie Freeman couldn't act too happy about his first major league home run on Tuesday. After all, his Atlanta Braves had just lost another tough one in Philadelphia and fell five games back in the N.L. East race that they had led for much for the season.

But the first baseman from El Modena certainly couldn't hide the glow from his feat, primarily because it came off Roy Halladay.

You only hit your first home run once. You'd rather hit it off a Cy Young winner than, say, Jose Arredondo.

More extracurricular fan participation in Philadelphia, where a 17-year-old kid wearing a bad Spider-man suit ran amok in the outfield until Braves left fielder Matt Diaz brought him down with a trip.

Diaz said he wanted to save the guy from being tased, but what is it with the Phillies crowd?

Their team is in first place, on an eight-game winning streak, and has played in the past two World Series. Shouldn't that be entertainment enough? Based on this, the Florida Marlins' dozen remaining fans should start the game romping in the outfield. Maybe Mike Stanton is too physically imposing.

Tell us what you think about Diaz's assistance to the Citizens Bank Field security.

While it wasn't the Cubs' Rick Monday saving an American flag from being burned in the Dodger Stadium outfield, it was some serious player-fan interaction.

A California native who is building a home in Southern California, Lee (who cleared waivers in order to make the trade possible) clearly saw the Braves (2 1/2 games up in the N.L. East) as a team that gives him a chance at the post-season. And the Angels? Not so much.